Dec. 12, 2018 - Tuesday night, Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene joined Human Resources' Sonita Young, Nichole Thompson and Cecile Wallace in welcoming the first class of students to the Supporting Talent and Recruiting Teachers (S.T.A.R.T.) program.
This brand-new program gives current non-certified employees with an associate's degree the opportunity to earn a Bachelor's degree in education at Saint Leo University and transition to teaching a class of their own.
The two-year program is an HR initiative aimed to support members of Team Duval in their endeavors to further their career. In partnering with Saint Leo University, S.T.A.R.T. students are offered discounted tuition in exchange for committing to teaching Team Duval students for three years after their certification and graduation.
This is an opportunity that Celeste Amrullah has waited nine years for. She is one of 16 employees who make up the inaugural class.
"I received my AA in Elementary Education in 2009 and it’s been a long time getting to this point," said Amrullah. "I have two daughters in college and am so excited that I may actually beat them to getting a Bachelor’s degree."
S.T.A.R.T. not only benefits our teachers in getting certified, it benefits our students in ensuring their education comes from certified and highly effective educators.
Learn more about S.T.A.R.T. by visiting their website, or clicking here.
Congratulations to the following for being in the inaugural S.T.A.R.T. class:
Celeste Amrullah
Bernice Baker
D'Andre Campbell
Shirl Carswell
Jessica Clinton
Patricia Falco
Renee Herbert-Shie
Simone Johnson
Susanne Kresol
Abigail Lopez
Shmara Mitchell
Frankie Schroer
Heather Sharp
Chelsea Sibley
Silvincia St. Hilaire-Fernand
Karissa Thomas